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Wisconsin News Release: January Unemployment Rate Drops to 2.8 Percent
We've got NEWS
Thursday, March 2, 2000
Governor
Tommy G. Thompson
Secretary
Linda Stewart
News Media Contact
Heidi Kafura
608/264-6811
e-mail: news@dwd.state.wi.us
fax: 608/266-1784

For more information contact:
August Cibarich, 608/266-0522


JANUARY UNEMPLOYMENT RATE DROPS TO 2.8 PERCENT
State unemployment rate below national average for 12 years

MADISON—The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) today announced the state’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for January was 2.8 percent, posting the lowest January rate in four decades.

"Wisconsin has the strongest economy in 40 years," said DWD Deputy Secretary Orlando Canto.  "We have started the 21st century in a very strong position."

The January rate was down from December’s rate of 3.0 percent and well below last year’s rate of 3.4 percent. The 2.8 percent rate is the lowest January rate since seasonally adjusted record keeping began in 1960.

The nation’s unemployment rate also dropped in January to 4.0 percent and Wisconsin’s unemployment rate has been below the national average for 12 years.  Wisconsin’s unadjusted rate was 3.4 percent and compares to a rate of 4.1 percent posted last January.

Wisconsin’s labor force increased by 15,100 over the month and employment grew by 21,000 while the number of unemployed decreased by 5,900.  In addition, Wisconsin’s labor force increased by 110,800 over the year and total employment grew by 126,200.  At the same time, unemployment declined by 15,500 and seven tenths of a percentage point.

Nonfarm and salary jobs increased by 5,400 over the month after seasonal adjustment, with significant improvements in the trade, construction, and government sectors.

Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates in the state’s major metropolitan areas ranged from 1.4 percent in Madison to 4.2 percent in Racine.  Over the month rates declined in two areas, remained unchanged in five and increased in four.  Nine of the metropolitan statistical areas had lower rates this year.

In addition, 70 of the state’s 72 counties had lower unemployment rates this year than last with the exception of Oneida County which remained the same and LaCrosse County which experienced an increase of two-tenths of a percentage point.

The complete text of the Department’s announcement and supporting data, as well as other labor market information, is available to the public on the agency’s Web site at <http://www.dwd.state.wi.us>.  Historical and other related labor market data is available by selecting "labor market information."

(end)

Employment and Labor Force
Household Survey

Unadjusted estimates

Jan. 2000

Dec. 1999

Jan. 1999

Total labor force

2,957,200

2,975,900

2,846,400

Employed

2,855,300

2,897,900

2,729,100

Unemployed

101,800

78,000

117,300

Wis. Unemployment Rate

3.4%

2.6%

4.1%

U.S. Unemployment Rate

4.5%

3.7%

4.8%

 

Seasonally adjusted

Jan. 2000

Dec. 1999

Jan. 1999

Total labor force

3,002,300

2,987,200

2,888,800

Employed

2,919,600

2,898,500

2,790,500

Unemployed

82,700

88,600

98,300

Wis. Unemployment

2.8%

3.0%

3.4%

U.S. Unemployment

4.0%

4.1%

4.3%

 

*Metro National rank Dec.1999


Unemployment
% seasonally adjusted


January
2000

 

December
1999

 

January
1999

13th

Wisconsin

2.8%

3.0%

3.4%

28th

Appleton-Oshkosh

2.1%

2.1%

2.7%

126th

Eau Claire

3.1%

3.0%

3.3%

38th

Green Bay

2.3%

2.3%

2.7%

174th

Janesville-Beloit

3.6%

4.7%

3.6%

98th

Kenosha

3.3%

3.2%

3.8%

111th

La Crosse

3.1%

3.2%

3.1%

2nd

Madison

1.4%

1.3%

1.5%

88th (tie)

Milwaukee-Waukesha

3.1%

3.1%

3.6%

194th

Racine

4.2%

4.2%

5.1%

28th

Sheboygan

2.0%

1.9%

2.2%

88th (tie)

Wausau

2.8%

2.8%

3.1%
  • This is the latest available data for the U.S.’s 329 largest metro areas. Urban rankings are NOT seasonally adjusted. Lower is better. Ties are shown only if existing with other Wisconsin urban areas; ties with urban areas in other states are not shown, but are available upon request. Rankings are by the U.S. Labor Department and are based on unadjusted data for the previous month, while the rates shown above for Wisconsin cities are seasonally-adjusted and for the current month.
  • **State ranking is seasonally adjusted
  • *Metropolitan ranking is not seasonally adjusted and is for the prior month

Source: Wisconsin Department of WorkforceDevelopment

Non-Farm Wage & Salary
Employer Survey
In Thousands

 

January
2000

December
1999

Year Ago

+/- month

+/– year

NONFARM WAGE & SALARY

2742.9

2816.2

2686.6

-73.3

56.3
           

MANUFACTURING

611.2

613.3

612.1

-2.1

-0.9

DURABLE GOODS .

375.5

376.9

373.8

-1.4

1.7

Lumber and Wood Products

32.3

32.2

31.4

0.1

0.9

Furniture and Fixtures

18.0

18.1

17.6

-0.1

0.4

Stone, Clay & Glass Products

10.9

11.5

10.2

-0.6

0.7

Primary Metal Industries

26.0

26.0

26.3

0.0

-0.3

Fabricated Metal Products

68.1

68.0

66.9

0.1

1.2

Nonelectrical Machinery

111.3

111.5

112.7

-0.2

-1.4

Electrical Machinery

46.3

46.2

47.0

0.1

-0.7

Transportation Equipment .

34.5

34.3

33.1

0.2

1.4

Prof., Scient. & Control Instr

17.5

17.7

17.7

-0.2

-0.2

Miscellaneous Manufacturing

10.5

11.3

11.2

-0.8

-0.7
           

NONDURABLE GOODS

235.6

236.4

238.3

-0.8

-2.7

Food and Kindred Products

63.6

64.0

62.9

-0.4

0.7

Textile Mill Products

2.3

2.5

2.7

-0.2

-0.4

Apparel & Other Finished Products

5.7

5.9

5.8

-0.2

-0.1

Paper and Allied Products.

51.8

52.1

52.7

-0.3

-0.9

Printing, Publishing & Allied

54.4

54.5

56.4

-0.1

-2.0

Chemicals and Allied Products

14.1

14.1

14.5

0.0

-0.4

Rubber & Misc. Plastic Products

39.5

39.1

38.8

0.4

0.7

Leather & Leather Products

3.9

3.9

4.2

0.0

-0.3

All Other Nondurable Goods

0.3

0.3

0.4

0.0

-0.1
           

MINING

2.1

2.5

2.1

-0.4

0.0

CONTRACT CONSTRUCTION

108.7

120.3

101.1

-11.6

7.6

TRANS, COMM, ELEC, GAS

129.7

133.2

126.4

-3.5

3.3

TRADE

621.9

651.1

604.5

-29.2

17.4

WHOLESALE TRADE

136.7

138.1

134.2

-1.4

2.5

RETAIL TRADE

485.2

512.9

470.4

-27.7

14.8

FINANCE, INSURANCE & REAL ESTATE

147.8

148.1

143.9

-0.3

3.9

SERVICES AND MISCELLANEOUS

724.5

741.9

701.4

-17.4

23.1
           

GOVERNMENT

397.0

406.0

395.0

-9.0

2.0

FEDERAL

30.7

30.7

30.2

0.0

0.5

STATE

95.2

99.3

96.6

-4.1

-1.4

LOCAL

271.1

275.9

268.2

-4.8

2.9
           

PERSONS INVOLVED IN L-M DISPUTES

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

  

Source: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

Maps of January 2000 Unemployment Rates by County

Unemployment by County
January 2000
Not seasonally adjusted

RANK  

COUNTY

 RATE LAST
RATE		 LAST
RANK		 YR 
AGO
RATE		 RANK COUNTY RATE LAST
RATE		 LAST
RANK		 YR 
AGO
RATE

   

                       

21

ADAMS

5.6%

4.2%

23

6.0%

54

MARATHON

3.6%

2.5%

54

4.1%

2

ASHLAND

7.6%

6.1%

2

9.6%

27

MARINETTE

5.2%

4.0%

25

6.3%

32

BARRON

4.8%

3.7%

28

5.8%

1

MARQUETTE

7.9%

6.1%

3

9.2%

4

BAYFIELD

7.5%

5.6%

6

9.2%

23

MENOMINEE

5.5%

4.8%

12

6.5%

65

BROWN

2.5%

1.9%

64

3.0%

51

MILWAUKEE

3.6%

3.1%

40

4.1%

42

BUFFALO

4.1%

3.3%

36

4.4%

36

MONROE

4.5%

3.3%

37

5.3%

   

                        

19

BURNETT

5.7%

4.4%

17

7.6%

26

OCONTO

5.3%

3.7%

30

6.6%

70

CALUMET

2.0%

1.5%

70

3.2%

10

ONEIDA

6.5%

5.2%

9

6.5%

24

CHIPPEWA

5.5%

3.8%

27

6.0%

63

OUTAGAMIE

2.7%

2.1%

60

3.4%

12

CLARK

6.5%

4.4%

20

7.8%

71

OZAUKEE

2.0%

1.5%

71

2.3%

33

COLUMBIA

4.8%

3.5%

32

6.1%

18

PEPIN

5.9%

4.3%

22

7.2%

44

CRAWFORD

4.0%

3.1%

41

5.8%

59

PIERCE

3.0%

2.2%

58

4.1%

   

                        

72

DANE

1.6%

1.2%

72

1.8%

43

POLK

4.0%

3.3%

35

5.6%

61

DODGE

3.0%

2.0%

62

3.7%

38

PORTAGE

4.4%

2.7%

49

5.0%

7

DOOR

6.9%

5.3%

7

8.5%

22

PRICE

5.6%

4.2%

24

10.0%

37

DOUGLAS

4.5%

3.2%

38

5.9%

31

RACINE

4.9%

3.6%

31

5.9%

46

DUNN

3.9%

2.6%

52

4.8%

55

RICHLAND

3.5%

2.7%

47

5.7%

58

EAU CLAIRE

3.1%

2.3%

55

3.3%

41

ROCK

4.2%

3.4%

33

4.3%

   

                        

6

FLORENCE

7.0%

6.1%

1

9.4%

15

RUSK

6.1%

4.6%

16

7.3%

57

FOND DU LAC

3.3%

2.3%

56

4.3%

53

SAUK

3.6%

2.6%

51

4.9%

9

FOREST

6.7%

5.0%

10

8.1%

8

SAWYER

6.9%

4.9%

11

8.7%

35

GRANT

4.6%

2.8%

46

5.9%

39

SHAWANO

4.3%

3.1%

43

5.1%

50

GREEN

3.8%

2.2%

59

4.2%

69

SHEBOYGAN

2.1%

1.6%

69

2.4%

25

GREEN LAKE

5.4%

4.6%

15

6.6%

64

ST. CROIX

2.5%

1.9%

63

3.5%

   

                        

47

IOWA

3.9%

2.3%

57

5.1%

20

TAYLOR

5.6%

4.3%

21

6.9%

13

IRON

6.2%

5.7%

5

7.8%

16

TREMPEALEAU

5.9%

4.4%

18

6.4%

34

JACKSON

4.6%

3.4%

34

5.8%

30

VERNON

4.9%

3.7%

29

5.6%

60

JEFFERSON

3.0%

2.1%

61

3.7%

11

VILAS

6.5%

4.8%

13

7.4%

5

JUNEAU

7.5%

5.3%

8

10.0%

62

WALWORTH

2.8%

1.9%

65

3.4%

52

KENOSHA

3.6%

2.7%

48

4.1%

3

WASHBURN

7.6%

5.9%

4

9.9%

   

                        

56

KEWAUNEE

3.3%

2.6%

50

4.9%

66

WASHINGTON

2.5%

1.8%

67

3.4%

49

LA CROSSE

3.8%

2.9%

45

3.6%

67

WAUKESHA

2.3%

1.8%

66

2.7%

40

LAFAYETTE

4.3%

2.6%

53

5.3%

48

WAUPACA

3.8%

3.0%

44

4.9%

14

LANGLADE

6.2%

4.7%

14

7.3%

17

WAUSHARA

5.9%

4.4%

19

7.0%

28

LINCOLN

5.2%

3.9%

26

6.6%

68

WINNEBAGO

2.3%

1.7%

68

2.8%

45

MANITOWOC

4.0%

3.1%

42

5.7%

29

WOOD

5.0%

3.2%

39

5.4%

Source: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

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